A Night At The Movies CXXXI: True Grit
Posted by drteine on November 29, 2011
I had not seen the original 1969 western and I thought I should before I watch the Coen Brothers remake. A few things about this classic western:
1) The standards of a G movie then and today are quite different. This movie, even with it’s fake blood and lots of shooting, would never make G today with 3 hangings, a man getting his fingers cut off (well, you don’t see it directly, but you see it happening indirectly as the knife comes down fast on the man’s hand), skeletons and rattlesnakes in a pit, and a few other examples.
2) One could be fooled that it was the rough riding sheriff’s deputy, Rooster Cogburn, as the example of true grit, but really, the girl determined to bring her father’s killer to justice, was a better example of true grit…but maybe that was the point.
3) I don’t know if I was supposed to like Glen Campbell’s character or not. He pulled off saving everyone in the end as the right thing to do, but he was indeed a pompous ass.
I’m not a great fan of John Wayne’s acting, but he seemed a bit more normal and likeable in this film compared to others I’ve seen him in. His character, plus the scenery, the storyline, and the pluck of the girl (again, I think she was the better example of True Grit, but I could be wrong) made this an enjoyable film to watch. Now let’s see how the remake is.
internet marketing said
There’s a first time for everything and, finally, now there’s a Coen Brothers movie that you can watch alongside your parents without them complaining that it’s too weird.